Postcards from Philadelphia

Fourth graders on the lawn outside Independence Hall sharing all they learned about the U.S. Constitution. Photograph by Tobey Grumet.

On Wednesday, April 18, the entire fourth grade with numerous parent chaperones in tow assembled in the schoolyard at 6:30am to catch buses for the annual field trip to Philadelphia, where they visited sites they have studied in their social studies curriculum. Here are some “postcards” from Philadelphia written by six Newspaper Club members.

American Revolution MuseumAt the Museum of the American Revolution you got to hold a real colonial-era musket that would shoot if you had put gunpowder in it. My tour group saw how you would actually set up the gun and get ready to shoot. A trained soldier was supposed to be able to assemble and get it ready to shoot in just 15 to 20 seconds! And there were at least 10 steps in the process. We actually got to see it fire and also to pick the gun up. It was actually pretty heavy! At the end of the tour we watched a film about a very special tent: George Washington’s war tent. It was bigger than a normal tent–it was really big. Washington did a lot in this tent.Sidonie Moulton (4-521)

The Oneindia section of the museum was a great part of the American Revolution Museum. I learned that the tribe had to decide which side to take: the Americans or the British. I also learned that the Mohawks sided with the British because they thought they’re land would be safer under British rule. But the Oneindia sided with the Americans. I also learned that one day the Mohawk went to the Oneindia land and tried to persuade the Oneindia to join them in supporting the British. It didn’t work.Marley DeFIlippis (4-521)

The trip to Philadelphia was cool because we got to see a lot of artifacts and 3-D models of people and events. In the American Revolution museum, we got to see George Washington’s war tent, which was super cool. There were originally two war tents, but we learned that the first burned down. In the Constitution Center we got to see Signer’s Hall, which featured 3-D bronze models of important people in the American Revolution.Zoe Taylor (4-507)

Signers HallSigners Hall is a place where you can see statues and read about the people that signed the Declaration of Independence. Signers Hall is in the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, PA.

Signers Hall is very fun because you get to see statues and take pictures with famous people who signed the Declaration of Independence and you can have funny pictures or serious pictures. I like doing funny faces when they’re shaking hands and being really serious. Here are some people that are there: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin.Alec Segal (4-508)

Independence HallIndependence Hall is a very important place in American history because not only was the Declaration of Independence created here, but the Constitution too! Construction began on the building in 1732, and it took 21 years to finish it by 1753! At the time it was the biggest, most ambitious building in the Thirteen Colonies. The Liberty Bell, which stands as a sign of liberty, used to sit on top of Independence Hall.Roman Martinez (4-508)

Benjamin Franklin’s GraveWhen my group went to Ben Franklin’s grave we saw just how many people come to Philadelphia just to visit this spot. While we were there we found out people put change on the grave as a way to honor his memory.Jackson Maida (4-521)